These past few days, the Informous team has been following the ProMat 2011 stream on Twitter. Beyond checking out the exhibitors and seminars at ProMat, we've also been getting insights into what's sticking with ProMat participants. The Twitter stream for the #promatshow hashtag shows what exhibits, giveaways, and speakers event attendees identify with most.
This Tuesday, the second day of the event, one tweet from @jmillerjm22 caught our eye in particular. It was simple: "Does anyone know what booth is giving out hockey pucks? #promatshow."
Turns out, this company is Omega Lift, @omegalift on Twitter. Even though Omega Lift doesn't seem to be very active on Twitter, @jmillerjm22′s tweet shows that their trade show marketing strategy is working. Interactive and social media marketers can learn a lot from their hockey puck giveaway.
It works like this:
1. Offer something people want.
Trade show version: Sure, Omega Lift sells lifts and material handling solutions-not hockey equipment-but the pucks are making their way around the conference both physically and online. ProMat is, after all, in Chicago-a big hockey city.
Social media version: Create blog posts, tweets, and Facebook posts that your audience actually cares about. Share valuable advice in blog posts and white papers, tweet facts that pique their interest, and post statuses on Facebook that start conversations. Figure out what the hockey pucks are for your audience.
2. Do things differently.
Trade show version: Pens, pencils, even chip clips are fairly common items at trade shows. No one goes in search of them, or tweets about them, because they're everywhere. Change it up, offer something unique such as a hockey puck, and you're going to generate buzz about your company.
Social media version: Don't tweet or blog about the same stuff as everyone else. People have enough to pay attention to already, so to make them pay attention to you, you have to be unique and different. Amplify news that has flown under the radar, write about an area you have niche expertise in, or make your brand fun in an industry where seriousness is the norm. Shake things up and people will come to you.
3. Draw people in.
Trade show version: Through giving away free hockey pucks-something unique that people want-Omega Lift is successfully drawing people into its exhibit booth where representatives can engage the visitor on what Omega Lift does.
Social media version: After you capture attention by giving away something unique that people want, you have to bring them back to the place where you make your pitch. Attention means nothing if it doesn't ultimately lead to sales. So whether it's your company website, your e-newsletter, or a subscription to your blog, make sure your social media and interactive marketing efforts are drawing people back to your online equivalent of a trade show booth.
Agree with our hockey puck strategy for social media success? What's your company's hockey puck, for both physical marketing and social media marketing?
This article originally appeared on the Informous blog. Informous is a new content marketing resource for the plastics and packaging industries.